◈ Episode 167

Swish.

The fiercely burning fire died down.

Asterike, who had been smothering her heat, swept her hair behind her ears. Sparks flew out from her fingertips like a rolling flint from a lighter.

The ash that had accumulated on the building rubble blew away in the spring breeze. While watching the scattered ash, my eyes were suddenly drawn to the hem of my sleeve. The fibers at the end were charred black.

"It's a little burnt."

"Huh? What did you say?"

"The sleeves are burned."

Asterike let go of the hilt. There was a thud as the sword hit the ground. Noctane looked down at the replica of the [Vibranium Composite Sword] and was amazed once again.

'That's strange, it's so damn heavy.'

I almost broke my back in the prison of Ishrad. Every time I made it and handed it over, I felt its weight, so I couldn't help but realize how difficult the weapon was to handle.

However, Asterike's true value was in her spells, not her physical abilities.

"...Wow! As expected, it's Sister Asterike. Sister, your clothes were only slightly burned, but those damned parasites were burned all the way to their bones. Wow, I feel so relieved!"

Noctane smiled cowardly.

"There's a reason Arya follows along so well. I really want to be like my older sister!"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? You're older than me."

"There's a one year age difference. My sister is twenty-six and I'm twenty-seven."

"I know. But why am I the older sister?"

"Because you're so cool. We should respect you, ah!"

He praised me so much that it almost sounded like mockery.

"Ha, you're really consistent too."

"Hehe. You're always cool, big sister."

"Even if you flatter me for a hundred days, it won't be of any use."

Whenever Noctane was mobilized for an operation, he was always deployed with Asterike. Although he had no combat ability, he was considered almost like an accessory because he could replicate [Vibranium Composite Sword].

Kim Yi-hyun and Asterike are the true and illustrious best forces of Dustborn. It may be different in a high-difficulty operation, but in most situations, it would be overkill for the two of them to go out together.

therefore.

Sometimes, I couldn't help but have dark thoughts. For example, if Noctane gets involved in an unexpected accident, won't he end up sticking with Hyun like before?

"...."

Asterike glanced at Noctane with narrowed eyes. The once talkative boy immediately shut his mouth. It seemed as if he had sensed the danger through some instinctive sense or something.

She clicked her tongue openly. She was just being quick-witted for no reason.

"Anyway, I don't know the password either. Tell Hyeon."

"Hey. How could the boss not let you know how much he loves you?"

"Huh? Oh, well. Hyun does have that tendency…?"

Even the candy coating was useless.

There was a time when I shrugged my shoulders for no reason.

"Sister Ast. I'm back."

Arya walked out of a nearby supermarket. A boy and a girl were clinging to her legs. They seemed to be the children of an adult man and woman, following cautiously behind her.

Asterike's facial muscles relaxed at the delightful sight.

'Arya has really become a human being.'

Arya surprisingly showed outstanding talent in lifesaving. She has five senses specialized for searching for survivors, strength to easily remove heavy debris, and quick reflexes to deal with unexpected situations.

As she was able to survive by eating unidentified mushrooms in the forest of Shalem, her tolerance to contamination was also strong. Perhaps Arya's animal ears were evidence that she had already adapted to the mutation.

"Are there four of you?"

"One, two, seoi, neoi. That's four people."

Even though his intelligence is still a bit lacking, his growth to this point is remarkable.

"Are there any other survivors around here?"

"I, I don't know. We've been hiding the whole time…."

"Okay. Arya, can you see it's gone?"

Arya flared her nostrils and ran her finger under her nose.

"There's no smell of poop or urine except in the places I've been."

"It seems empty here. Should I go in further?"

As I was pondering this, noise came from Asterike's communicator.

- Asterique. Are you okay now?

Her face brightened at the sound of her voice, which she hadn't heard in a long time.

"Hyeon! Yeah, the engagement just ended. What about Hyeon?"

- I just got back. I contacted you as soon as I got back.

"I see. Are you hurt anywhere?"

- I'm not the kind of person who goes around getting beaten up.

Even though it was a trivial conversation, I couldn't help but laugh.

- Anyway, come back soon. It's time to leave here too.

"Really? I'll leave right away!"

- Just in case, be careful when you come.

The long-awaited return order was given. As soon as the communication was over, Asterike wiped the smile off her face and spoke to Noctane.

"Let's go quickly. I'll lead the survivors and follow you."

Like Kim I-hyeon, she had been adapting to the new era for a long time.

* * *

By safely returning to Asterike, all work was completed. Requests continued to pour in like a tidal wave, but since there were no urgent matters, I ended up rejecting them all.

While I was organizing my temporary residence, I received a call from Echidna.

It was an invitation from Chandra Seer, a member of the Harrenhal Council. On the surface, it was a simple dinner at the mansion. Most of the work was done by Echidna, but this time, Kim Yi-hyun also attended.

Towards the end of the meal, the main topic came up.

"―I heard that you two will be leaving Harrenhal soon."

"I was planning to come and tell you during the week, but the news came earlier."

Kim Yi-hyeon nodded without saying a word. He had been taking on all the requests that came his way, but then suddenly stopped taking orders. Anyone who had been paying attention to Dustborn's activities could not help but notice.

"Huh. Did something upset you? What kind of guys are you…?"

"No, not at all. There was some noise at first, but it was quickly accepted and comfortable."

It was a case of entrusting important matters of a country to a small mercenary company. Even with the prestige of CellbroLogics Labs, there was bound to be backlash. It was the case not only in Harenhall but everywhere.

A pattern we've seen countless times over the past two years.

Dustborne silenced the haters in two ways.

Proof of ability came first. The second was connections.

"It's all thanks to the congressman's kindness."

Armed with an elegant smile, Echidna added a word. It was not an empty remark. In fact, Chandra helped Dustborn in both material and spiritual ways so that he could run wild.

Chandra Seere, a young politician in his early 40s.

He was a beneficiary of the generational shift that often occurs in times of destruction.

He led the citizens instead of the city councilman who fled as soon as the parasite appeared. At that time, with the help of Dustborn, the situation was calmed down, and the city councilman who had fled was ousted from office.

The conclusion is that he ended up filling the vacancy. He is young, capable, and has good public opinion. There was no reason for the government not to support him.

Naturally, Chandra became Dustborne's supporter.

In some ways, you could say that it was a community with a shared destiny.

"Then why are you leaving so suddenly?"

"I have no regrets about Harrenhal."

Kim Lee-hyeon said, waving his hand slightly.

"We've been working pretty hard, and we've seen results. We've never failed in 54 missions. According to our records, we've rescued over a thousand people."

The tone was too indifferent to be considered self-praise. Chandra was newly amazed. It was truly amazing that less than ten people could achieve such results.

That's why we had to hold onto Dustborn even more.

But with the words that followed, he had no choice but to give up his greed.

"I think our work here is done for now."

"…There are still so many people suffering."

"It is a good country, Harrenhal."

To add to the somewhat unexpected answer.

"As you know, the world is in turmoil. We need a helping hand wherever we go. But I believe Harrenhal is more than capable of handling this situation."

"아...."

Chandra sighed without realizing it.

"You are embarrassing me. Are you willing to go to a more dangerous place for the sake of someone weaker?"

No answer came back.

The leader of Dustborn, who had fought ahead of everyone else, only smiled faintly. His expression, which seemed to prove his footsteps, made my heart ache.

"I understand, but it would be impolite to hold on any longer. I will follow your example and do my best to fulfill my role, cheering you on from afar."

For a long time, Chandra bowed deeply to his young benefactor.

"I will definitely repay your kindness someday. Please come see me whenever you are in trouble."

Kim Yi-hyun and Echidna exchanged glances. They could clearly guess what each other was thinking. The smiles on their faces became noticeably deeper and more natural.

"Oh, thank you for just saying that."

He was a man with a heart as rich as his wealth.

* * *

"I got good insurance."

Kim Lee-hyun muttered as he set off for his departure. The sight of Harrenhal through the car window was getting smaller. The three months of living in Harrenhal were fulfilling in many ways.

"Chandra Seer will continue to prosper."

"That's what I expected. He's a bit cautious, unlike someone who rose quickly. He could be assassinated overnight, but he's a competent secretary and bodyguard, so it'll be okay, right?"

"Your role was great. You worked hard."

Despite the sudden compliment, Echidna just snorted. Soon, she rested her chin on her hand and turned her head toward the window. The corners of her mouth were twitching as she looked at her face reflected in the window.

"By the way, isn't it about time you told me?"

"What?"

"What are you planning to do with this connection?"

The purpose of what Dustborn has been doing since the catastrophe.

Echidna didn't believe at all that Kim Hyun was acting purely to save the weak. She thought there must be something practical behind it.

Surprisingly, my idea was half wrong.

From the beginning, Kim Yi-hyun's ultimate goal was to normalize the continent, that is, to end the disaster. It's the same as saving lives. It's just that the scale is so large that there are so many obstacles to overcome.

I needed connections to avoid tripping over rocks.

"It's just like I said. It's insurance."

"So, what is this insurance for?"

"There are several reasons. For example, something went wrong in Cilicia and we had to relocate the company, or the remnants of the Legion popped up somewhere and we needed someone's help―"

Kim Lee-hyun blurted it out.

"If you just turn a blind eye when you've made a big mistake, you'll feel better."

As I spoke, sighs erupted from the front and back of the car.

"Ah. Looks like our boss is having strange thoughts again."

"Team Leader. Before you do anything, please give me a word in advance."

"Hyeon will do well on her own, so why are you making a fuss?"

"My sister is right. What do you know?"

He chuckled at the varied reactions.

'It reminds me of old times.'

I remembered the days when there were three of them, including Asterique and Rosco. Now, there were nine of them, including trainee Leone. If it weren't for the multi-seater vehicle, there would have been enough people to ride in separate groups.

It was noisy, but not bad.

"Anyway, it won't be that busy in Cilicia. Think of it as a vacation..."

* * *

Cilicia, Dustborne Corporation.

It was right after I had reunited with former White Fang members after a long time.

"Now, there's been a woman hanging around the office these past few days."

"What is that? Are you a spy?"

I frowned at the information Bryce gave me.

It could have been a remnant of the Legion. The organization itself would have collapsed since the upper echelons were completely empty. However, since they were unable to root out its members, they could not let their guard down.

"I approached him because he seemed so suspicious, but he was just talking nonsense."

"gibberish?"

"As far as I remember, um."

He said, furrowing his brow as if recalling a memory.

"Polaris. I think Polaris said something."

The moment he heard those words, Kim Yi-hyun's expression turned cold. It was a brief moment of change. In the blink of an eye, he regained his usual composure.

"What company name is it? I don't remember."

"Me too. I don't think it's a big deal, but I'm reminded of something from the past."

It refers to the No Face Incident. It may not have had anything to do with them, but I liked Bryce's caution. He was a solid guy, like the eldest son who had grown up.

Kim Lee-hyun opened his mouth, hiding his true feelings.

"If you have any pictures, send them to me. I'll meet them sometime."

I had to wait in line to see what kind of guy he was.